


they say he walks with demons

by cherrynemesis



Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Drama, F/M, Gen, Horror, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Out of Character, Psychological Horror, Thriller, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-06-25 18:50:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19751680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrynemesis/pseuds/cherrynemesis
Summary: The Uchiha clan live in a remote town of their own: Uchihasanpuku. It's seemingly peaceful, ordinary, hidden among foliage on a mountainside. But there was one thing that disturbed the peace: Uchiha Itachi.Known as the harbinger of misfortune, the villagers cast wary eyes, ears, and mouths his way. Any interaction with him for more than a few mere seconds was plenty enough for him to curse you, they'd said. The curses could range from simple bad luck to inexplicable tragedies.Ibaraki [Name] and Uchiha Shisui remained skeptical. They stood by his side, through thick and thin, despite the rumors that circulated. But little do they realize the real danger they face when they slowly discover the village's dark, dark secrets—and when they cannot distinguish lies from truth and illusion from reality, the little voice of reason in their heads tells them that some secrets are better left alone.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: contains topics about mental illness and may/will contain violence/gore, suicide, self-harm etc. i will add more to this list when applicable.
> 
> if you are not comfortable with any of these, please do not read!!
> 
> also, if the setting confuses some: setting is based on 80s-90s
> 
> anyways enjoy my first naruto fanfic ajskdhkjg sdfj i went on a horror movie binge and this is what happened.... can't say it'll be as good as what i have watched but i'm tryinggg
> 
> edit: i rewrote the summary because i don't think i wrote it well lol. this story is also not going in the direction i'd thought it'd go so it sounded a little misleading

He wanted nothing more than for the knocking to stop.

Itachi's palms were clasp over his ears as he glared at the battered wooden door from the corner of the room. The white paint had chipped off around the perimeter years ago, looking like a hound had clawed at it to escape. The brass knob rattled as the incessant knocking had turned into aggressive pounding, and the Uchiha shrunk further into his knees.

"Let us in, Let us in."

_Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away..._

"We know you're there, Itachi."

_Go away..._

"Itachi."

He glanced back up and felt his throat hitch as his gaze met another's. Red, unblinking, wicked eyes beckoned him from the crack underneath the door, but the boy knew better than to fall prey to the flesh-eating demon.

"It's time to eat!"

"I'm not hungry!" His breathing was erratic and he disliked it. _Mother, Father, Sasuke, where are you?_

The voices whispered inaudibly, towards each other, exchanging secrets too vile for him to possibly comprehend. He assured himself he didn't want to know what they spoke of, he just wanted them to leave. Crawling on all fours, the floors creaked as he inched closer to the bed that seemed so far away. His small, immature hands reached under his pillow, pulling out a battered journal and a pencil. _This pencil is dull_ , thought the Uchiha, a bead of sweat running down his temple as he scrawled a sentence upon the paper.

_I'll have to sharpen it._

"Niisan!" Sasuke knocked on the door five more times, tapping his foot on the wooden floor impatiently. It had been thirty minutes past dinner time and his older brother had still not come down. "Come out, it's time to eat. I know you're in there."

There was no response.

An exasperated sigh left him. "Mother and Father will be mad if you don't come out, you know."

Still no answer.

Sasuke lowered himself, careful not to invite splinters into his skin, and leaned down to look under the door. His chubby cheek squished against the floor as his eyes scanned what little he could see of the bedroom, stopping at the corner. His brother, pathetically balled into a fetal position, glared back at him. He clucked his tongue, but Itachi's staring only intensified, as if to disintegrate Sasuke's being. Several seconds passed and he stood up, exhaled through his nose, and began to bang on the door relentlessly. "I said, it's time to eat!"

"I'm not hungry!" Itachi's voice resonated from within, though it quivered with a tone Sasuke couldn't quite put his finger on. He decided it was not worth the effort, turning to leave only to flinch as he softly bumped against his father, looking up to aged features contorted with displeasure.

"What's going on here?"

"Niisan refuses to leave his room," the young Uchiha replied, his voice softened to a whisper. His father's eyebrows narrowed further, reaching for the knob to find that it would not budge. Sasuke looked towards the staircase as he heard his mother approaching, her movements tense.

"Fugaku, dear? Is Itachi..." Her lower lip trembled as the words left her mouth. "I thought you said —"

Fugaku exhaled. "Mikoto, I know. I thought it was temporary, but don't worry. I'll make sure to keep it under control."

"Mother? Father? What are you —"

"Sasuke," his father bellowed, "go downstairs and eat your supper."

Sasuke blinked. "But —"

"Now."

He gulped as he reached for his mother's hand, grasping onto it tightly as she ushered him back downstairs to the kitchen. Once they had turned the corner at the base of the stairs, Fugaku reached into the pocket of his pants to pull out a brass key and gingerly inserted it into the lock. It released a miniature _click_ as he twisted slowly, delicately, until he heard a loud thump from within. Steps went from the left to the right side of the room, followed by a door frantically opening and closing shut, and he waited. Seconds passed before he swung open the door slowly, the wood creaking as he entered.

The bedroom was lacking in anything colorful, and the white paint looked dreary as visible wear and tear spotted the walls, like aged oil on canvas. Fugaku's steps were light and feathered as he approached the childless bed, turning to the closet door, then to the pillow.

He reached under and pulled out a tattered notebook. Flipping to the newest entry, it read:

**the demons are watching me**


	2. the beginning

"Itachi," Fugaku began, "have your sessions of recent gone well?"

Itachi wondered if he should respond truthfully. Though they called them "sessions", it had nothing to do with a visit to the therapist; instead, he would be sent to the temple on the hill to be purified. While they went well, they had little to no effect on him. In fact, they did jack shit—but that's not the answer his father wanted to hear.

He watched as a blackish bug skittered across the tabletop. He fought the urge to kill it.

"Itachi?"

The Uchiha looked back to his father. "Yes, they've been going well."

"The villagers are still wary of you." Fugaku's eyes drifted to the burning incense on the dining room table. He either didn't notice the bug or ignored it. "I'm well aware that will always follow, and it will be a long journey before you can gain their trust back."

 _They don't understand anything. None of you do._ The bug had now crawled up his arm, then his shoulder, then his neck. And then it began to nibble.

_crunch crunch crunch_

"You're a grown man, Itachi, and my eldest son. You're intelligent and strong, as shown in your academics and training. And so I believe you will make a fine addition to our police force, as small as it may be." The side of Fugaku's neck had now began to bleed, but he paid no mind. "As you may know, your cousin Shisui has been on the force for some time. I'm sure he can answer any questions you may have."

_crunch crunch crunch_

God, how Itachi wanted to get up and swat the fucking thing off.

"You are to start this evening. Shisui will help you with the paperwork. I trust that you will not let the curse get the best of you."

He could barely conceal his horror as he watched the insect burrow into the skin of Fugaku's neck. He could see the flesh melding around the bug as it crawled underneath, blood trickling down. When it crawled back out, it began to seal the wound. The man knew what it had done, but he was powerless to help his poor ignorant father.

_click_

"Yes, father. I won't let you down," Itachi said, clearing his throat.

The slightest, smallest of smiles crept on Fugaku's face and he reached to scratch the wound on his neck, the insect skittering away as his hand approached. The blood coated his fingernails as he itched and scratched, scarlet running down his hand and wrist. Itachi could smell the stench of iron wafting towards him and hear the sounds of the scratching, the sound of his flesh oozing its red liquid as he dug his nails into his skin, and he kept scratching and scratching, digging deeper and deeper until the blood squirted out like a sprinkler, so utterly grotesque and terrifying but he couldn't avert his eyes no matter how desperately he wanted to—

 _I have to take it out. I have to._ The kitchen knife on the counter. _Too big. Something smaller._ Nothing in sight. _I need to make this quick—_

The bug was on the wall behind Fugaku, emitting chattering noises. It was laughing at him. The little shit was laughing at him.

They were watching. They _have_ been watching. It was his mistake for letting his guard down and he was paying the price.

"Itachi?"

He abruptly stood up. Fugaku did not flinch but raised a brow at his sudden movement.

"I'll be going then," he said, pushing in his chair. The loud scratching had now stopped, but the blood remained.

"Good luck."

Itachi's neck itched as he left his home. 

"And... done!" Shisui huffed triumphantly as he closed the manila folder in hand. He placed it on the stack of folders to his right, leaning back in his chair. "You are officially a part of our department now; if you could call it that. Your dad just needs to get through the documents, but otherwise you're good to go."

Itachi scanned his unkempt office desk, which, aside from the stacks of folders and the occasional magazine, was littered with papers upon papers upon papers and—you guessed it—more papers. "You don't keep this place very organized."

His cousin shrugged. "Hey, I still get the job done. As long as the mess is within my own space, it's fine—and if I can find my stuff, of course." He stood from his chair and grabbed his officer cap hanging on the wall to their right. "I'll get your uniform for you, and then we'll go out for an evening patrol tonight."

Upon receiving the uniform, Itachi went into the restroom to change. He came out fifteen minutes later, clad in a baby-blue collared shirt with a black silk tie. The radio speaker was snug on his left shoulder, and the patch containing the Uchiha police force logo decorated the breast pocket of his navy vest.

Shisui crossed his arms. "Where's your hat?"

He held it up. "Do I have to wear it?"

"Of course you do. Part of the dress code. Now put it on."

Itachi frowned, fitting the service cap onto him. Shisui grinned and patted his shoulder.

"Oh, come on, it looks good on you! Don't the ladies love a man in a uniform?"

"I don't know. I'm not used to wearing hats. What if I lose it?"

"You'll only lose it if you take it off anywhere outside of the station, so don't take it off." He tapped the back of his cap. "Besides, your name is written on the tag."

Itachi's handcuffs clanked loudly as he placed them in one of his pockets. "I think these uniforms are too fancy to start with."

"Really? I kind of like them that way. It makes me look more attractive." Shisui walked into the bathroom to admire himself in the mirror. He whistled as he adjusted his tie to emphasize his statement. "You think the ladies will notice me?"

"You've been wearing that uniform for at least a year and I haven't seen you talk once about a girlfriend."

"Oh, shut up."

A smile formed on Itachi's lips and they made way to exit the station. It was eight-thirty in the evening; colorful summer flames draped over Uchihasanpuku, and there was an uncomfortably warm breeze. It wasn't long before the pair felt the humidity stick to their clothes. At the least, the evening would bring about cool air.

"God, I hate summer," Shisui said as he walked over to his patrol car. "I feel so gross."

"I kind of like it. The cicadas are relaxing to listen to."

"I suppose. They're loud as shit though."

He had inserted the key into the door when they noticed a car slowly approaching them down the street—the only street that connected the remote town to the rest of the world. It came at a slow speed and an even slower stop, and the rear door on the right opened. A young woman came out of the car wearing a backpack and carrying two duffel bags, and the trunk popped open. Shisui had already began walking towards the car. Itachi followed and they both tipped their caps at the driver as they walked passed him to the trunk, who offered them a slight wave. The woman struggled to pull out her suitcases.

"Let me help," said Shisui, reaching over to grab the suitcase. He grunted as he pulled it out; it was heavier than he expected.

"Oh, you don't have to—"

"Please, it's alright." He placed the suitcase down, repeating his action on the second one. He shut the trunk door and they all moved out of the way for the car to turn around before walking up the street.

"Thank you, sir."

Shisui smiled. "Not a problem. Nice evening we're having, isn't it?"

"Yeah, the sunset here is gorgeous."

Itachi glanced at Shisui as he spoke. "We don't get many visitors. What brings you here?"

"Oh, I'm uh... moving in."

"Moving in?" Both Shisui and Itachi were surprised, as the Uchiha clan was not keen on allowing outsiders into their village long-term. "Where are you from?"

"I'm moving in from Konohagakure. My father's close friend was an Uchiha." She laughed nervously as their incredulous looks did not waver. "He wrote in his will that he wanted to give his property and belongings here to me. It took a bit of convincing, but eventually they approved of the paperwork."

"Uh... wow. That is certainly a first." The trio walked in the direction of the police station. "But even if your father's friend gave you property, we are a far way from Konoha. Surely it wasn't just the home that convinced you to move here?" 

"It is far, but a lot happened back home. I thought moving here would be good for a fresh start." She didn't continue further and she made it apparent that she didn't want to. The pair averted their eyes from her as an awkward silence began to grow between them. Itachi kicked a nearby rock as they walked.

When they arrived at the station, Shisui made an attempt to break the uncomfortable atmosphere as he held out his hand to her. "I'm Shisui, and this is my cousin Itachi," he said as she shook his hand firmly. "Would you like to come into the station? I could get you water if you'd like."

"Oh, no, I'm alright. I'm Ibaraki [Name]." She looked to Itachi and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Itachi-san, Shisui-san."

"Nice to meet you too," Itachi replied curtly.

"Well, I think I ought to be on my way. I'm sorry if I bothered you two."

Shisui shook his head. "No need to apologize, we're just doing our boring patrols around here. Do you know where your house is?"

"Yeah, it's not far from here. Just down this street," said [Name], pointing to her left.

"Do you want us to escort you there? It's getting dark out—" Itachi interrupted him with an elbow nudge, and the girl chuckled.

"No, no, I'm okay. I can walk there myself."

"I see. Well, please be careful." He grinned. "Have a good rest of your evening, Ibaraki-san."

She waved and walked in the direction of her new home. When she was just out of earshot, Shisui turned to Itachi to inquire him about the elbow but raised a brow at his look— _that_ look. It was one of those expressions where he had something to say. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You like her, don't you?"

He couldn't hide the blush that rose to his face. "W-What the hell are you talking about? I was just being nice!"

"You tend to be awful kind to the girls you like," Itachi said. Shisui glared at him. "What? You don't think she's cute?"

"Yeah, she's cute! What of it?" Itachi laughed and Shisui's face couldn't possibly get redder. "Just because I find her physically attractive—"

"I've heard enough. You don't need to defend yourself."

"Bite me." He walked back to his car and unlocked it. Itachi followed and got into the passenger seat, watching as his cousin took a moment to check all of his mirrors.

"Are you gonna drive by her house?"

He inserted the key into the ignition and slowly turned to Itachi. "I never thought I'd want to punch you so badly than in this moment."

"Don't worry, I won't tell her anything."

"You're lucky I cherish you as a friend," Shisui said as he started the sedan. He pulled out of the driveway and took the road opposite of [Name]'s street.

They went over some common parking spots for the officers, Itachi's schedule, and Shisui's strange obsession with manual stick shifts. He always had an interest for cars, and when he started talking about them he couldn't stop. Valves per cylinder? Independent suspension? Torque? Itachi was a quick learner, but sometimes there were topics he just didn't care enough to learn about. It was also a good thing Shisui didn't have the funds or convenient access to his dream car—Itachi could say with absolute certainty that he would die in a car accident. Not the brightest way to go, but his cousin liked to go _fast_. The few times they had ventured out on the highway left Itachi almost carsick, and the last time they had did just that he actually thought they would drift off of the cliff-side. It went without saying that he scolded him for that one.

Even so, he couldn't blame him. Their little town was unremarkable at best. No one stole, no one harmed, no one killed. Everyone followed the rules, everyone got along (with the exception of Itachi himself). The village has its modern aspects, but otherwise the people were very traditional in their ways. Shisui dreamed of living in the city. As a small town cop, he did his job well, but the growing urge to just _let go_ was impossible to ignore. Maybe that's why he enjoyed speeding down the road; it was the one thing that got his heart racing. Of course, he avoided doing so within a ten mile radius of the village, but a little bit of fun didn't hurt nobody.

They had been driving in silence for a few minutes, with Itachi staring out the window—the sun had long set by now. A tingling sensation sprouted on his neck and he smacked it immediately. His hand was clean when he looked, but he proceeded to swat down the rest of his uniform. Shisui glanced over to him.

"What, something crawl on you?"

"I felt something on my neck," Itachi said as he went to itch it. "I think it might have bit me."

Shisui rolled both of the front windows down. "Maybe it was a mosquito?"

He scratched harder, but the sensation did not subside. It was an itch that he couldn't quite reach—the most annoying of them all. It seemingly grew stronger as he continued. Then it dawned on him—

(crunch crunch crunch)

He looked at his hand again.

_fresh, fresh vermillion—_

They're listening. They're always listening.

(itachi?)

_They tapped me, too._

"Itachi!"

The fellow Uchiha blinked; he hadn't noticed Shisui calling for him.

"Are you okay? You're bleeding from your neck," he said. "Here, let me see it."

Itachi could hear him, but at the same time it was distant. He turned to expose his neck and Shisui furrowed his brow in concern.

"It's not too bad. Let me just go grab my first-aid kit in the trunk."

He pulled over to the side of the road, next to a nearby cafe and bakery—Izumi’s Sweets—and got out of the car. Itachi looked to the front door of the building. The interior was dark, but he could make out the dango resting in its display. His mouth watered slightly until his vision was obscured by Shisui’s uniform, kit in hand. He opened the door and took out antibiotic ointment, lightly dabbing the salve onto the bloodied scrape. He topped it off with a band-aid.

Shisui got back into the driver's seat, throwing the first-aid kit to the back. He turned on the radio. "I don't know how you didn't feel that, but try be careful, yeah?" Itachi remained silent. "Are you alright?"

_Am I?_

(they were watching. they have been watching)

"Itachi?"

_Am I alright?_

The mellow beat of the music was faint as Itachi spoke.

"Yes, I'm alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do i do it? do i do a love triangle?? oh god oh fuck
> 
> i'm aware that that's probably not how police departments in japan recruit their officers. i did some light research on it but y'all are here to be entertained so it may not be 100% realistic. plus we got spooky shit going on here so i don't think it has to be super accurate lol
> 
> also i'm sorry if i was a little slow in writing this, i re-wrote this entire chapter at least 5 times........


	3. the unknown

Into the woods Obito went.

It was bright, sunny. Spring was just around the corner.

He was only twelve. Innocence in its purest form.

He wanted to see the cherry blossoms, because it reminded him of home.

Into the woods he went.

Alone.

He didn’t like being alone. But no one would go with him.

He’d moved away from his friends a while ago. His family found it better to live with their clansmen. He didn’t like it, but he knew he had no choice.

He missed them. He missed them so much. There were nights he cried in his room, cradling the photo frame to his chest.

He had no one here. In this place he tried to call “home”.

Into the woods he went.

He ran for his life, like a game of tag.

He ran towards the closest cherry blossom tree he knew of. The petals reminded him of Rin.

She was sweet. So sweet. So delicate, just like those cherry blossoms.

He wondered if she was thinking about him.

Into the woods he went.

He found the cherry blossom tree. Its petals lay scattered among the grass.

He smiled. It was so peaceful. So soft. So… beautiful.

It was just like Rin.

He sat down by the trunk, twiddling his immature thumbs as he spoke:

“I wish you were here, Rin.”

Of course, there was no response. Trees can’t speak.

“Are you thinking about me?”

Obito closed his eyes. He thought of Rin sitting next to him.

She was as radiant as the sun.

“I never got to tell you how much I like you.”

He opened his eyes. She wasn’t there, but he imagined her warm presence.

“Rin…

“I like you. No. I love you.”

There was only the rustling of the trees. He closed his eyes again.

He cursed under his breath. He should have asked for her number before moving.

“Maybe I will visit you.”

Into the woods he went.

He opened his eyes. The sun had started to set. How long had he been asleep?

He had to hurry. He’d be late for supper.

He got up and said goodbye to the cherry blossom tree.

He’d been walking for some time.

Time was ticking. The sun had almost completely set. It was getting difficult to see.

Strange. He thought he went back the same direction he came, but he couldn’t see the hill towards the town.

He started to worry. Was he lost?

The boy started to walk faster.

Twenty minutes. He was still not home.

He could barely see in front of him, but he had to keep walking.

He was scared. And _definitely_ late for dinner. Grandmother will scold him.

He felt tears well in his eyes. Kakashi used to tease him for being afraid of the dark. He thought he had overcome that, but…

He was terrified.

It was cold. Not freezing, but just enough for goosebumps. Perhaps that wasn’t just from the chill.

Obito wiped his eyes. He was hungry and tired. He sat by the nearest tree (that he could tell) to rest.

A night in the woods wouldn’t be so bad. Back in Konoha, he’d done just that with his friends.

With Kakashi. With Rin.

He held his knees to his chest.

He hated being alone. He felt his eyes water again.

“Rin, I’m scared.”

He sat there for a few minutes. It was pitch black. There was no moon to be seen.

Should he continue? Should he wait? The poor child was unsure.

He nearly began to doze off when he heard:

_crunch_

A twig snapped nearby.

He whipped his head towards the sound. His heart started to race.

“Hello?”

Silence. He was in the woods. It was probably just an animal.

He rested his head again until:

_crunch_

He’d heard it.

This time, he stood up. His hands were trembling—no, his entire body quivered.

He called out again, to the unknown predator:

“H-Hello? Is anyone there?”

_crunch_

It was getting closer.

_Crunch_

_Crunch_

_CRUnch_

_CRUNch_

_CRUNCH_

_CRUNCH_

_CRUNCH_

Obito ran.

_CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH_

Adrenaline pumped in his veins. He didn’t know what was chasing him, _who_ was chasing him, but it followed.

Tears ran down his cheeks as he ran as fast as he could.

He ran for his life. Like a game of tag. Except this could end badly.

Very, very badly.

He ran for what seemed like forever.

His lungs burned. His legs ached. He desperately wanted to pause, just one quick moment, but he feared the consequences. The phrase repeated itself in his head:

_I don’t want to die._

Once more, he thought of Rin.

If he died, he would never be able to tell her how he felt. Ever.

And so he kept running.

He cried out in pain as he felt his ankle catch on a tree root and rolled down a hill.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

He eventually slowed to a stop, covered in moss and leaves and whatever else the great outdoors had to offer.

When he tried to get up, he screamed. His ankle felt like it was on fire.

But he no longer heard the steps.

_Is it gone?_

The boy listened.

And listened.

And listened...

And listened.....

And listened.......

**CRUNCH**

... Into the woods Obito went,

twelve years young,

never to return again.


End file.
